Day 1  

Arrival at Vienna airport and transfer to the hotel. Overnight in Vienna.

 

Day 2   

Vienna – Discover the capital of Austria
Depart for a tour of Vienna City, which will introduce you to the most important sights of the Austrian capital. As we drive around the famous 'Ringstrasse', Vienna's main boulevard, we shall see the State Opera, the Museums of Fine Art, the Parliament building, the National Theatre, the City Hall, the University and City Park. We  will also visit Hofburg – the royal palace in Vienna, then walk to the beautiful Gothic St. Stefan’s cathedral.  At the end of tour we visit the Schönbrunn Palace near Vienna, where we take a tour of some of the most magnificently decorated rooms. Rest of the day – free time.  Overnight in Vienna.

 

Day 3

Vienna – Wachau – Melk – Vienna (125 km/1.50 min)
The Wachau follows the Danube river for 33 kilometers from Melk to Krems and reaches into the side-valleys of the Wachauer Garden. The region is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is filled with stunning baroque architecture, atmospheric towns and vineyards. On the road You will see among other things the town of Dürnstein, with the castle ruins above it. This is the place where King Richard of England was held for ransom when returning from the Crusades. We visit the 1000 year old town of Krems and enjoy viewing the old buildings and streets  which are from Renaissance times – old and imposing . Later we visit Melk Abbey which is a lovely 18th century Benedictine Abbey now fully restored and believed to be the most beautiful Baroque abbey in the world - part palace, part monastery, part opera set - and with a commanding view of the Danube. Overnight in Vienna.

 

Day 4

Vienna – Innsbruck (480 km/6 h on highway)
On the way to Innsbruck we stop in Rattenberg. The medieval town of Rattenberg which is the smallest town in Austria., the inhabitants live in carefully restored civic houses. Next stop today is Tratzberg Castle. Built in 1500, this is one of Austria’s architectural jewels. Overlooking the Inn Valley, it served as a hunting lodge for the Emperor Maximilian I. and the Fugger family.  Overnight in Innsbruck.

 

Day 5

Innsbruck
Tyrol, with its natural beauty and exceptional countryside is one of the highlights of the tour and will make it an unforgettable memory. After Breakfast: Experience the former Olympic town of Innsbruck, the capital of Tyrol. See The Golden Roof and the Imperial Palace with the 800 year old Imperial Church, the City Tower, and the Ambras Castle near Innsbruck, which is probably Austria’s finest Renaissance palace.
Afternoon: Visit Swarowski’s Crystal World.  The Swarovski Crystal World, created by Andre Heller, is a pure invitation to dream. Only a 20 minutes drive away from Innsbruck this sparkling fantasy world is definitely worth a visit. This unique crystalline theatre is, aside from Schonbrunn Palace, Austria’s second most visited museum. Overnight in Innsbruck.

 

Day 6

Innsbruck – Salzburg (250 km/4h)
Travel along the Alpine panoramic road with a few breaks to enjoy the beauties of Nature.. The road passes through the Zillertall Valley, Quintessential Tyrol. Amazing Mountains that are part of  the Alps, from 550 to 2020 meters above sea level!  Experience the ultimate in winter sports fun in the idyllic holiday resort of Zell am Ziller. Zell is located at the very heart of the Zillertal valley. With the mountains of Alps and the beautiful lake, it is an amazing natural panorama!  Break in Waterfall Krimml. It is the fifth highest waterfall in the world and is comprised of 3 waterfalls 380 meters high in total. Break in Zell am See. It has been considered a “climatic spa” since 1961. Not only the air around the town, but also the water of Lake Zell is specially clean and pure. It is even classified as drinking water… A fascinating place!  Overnight in Salzburg.

 

Day 7

Salzburg
Discover Salzburg: Known worldwide  as the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the city of Salzburg is famous for  its architecture, often called the Rome of the North, with magnificent monuments in Baroque and Renaissance style. Salzburg is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The tour begins at the Palace of Mirabell, built in 1606 for the Archbishop of Salzburg. Then passes the Mozarteum (University of Music) we arrive at the Market Square with the Trinity Church, a Baroque masterpiece. Crossing over Salt River we arrive at the Hellbrunn Palace for a short photo break. The Hellbrunn Palace was built in the 17th century as a hunting lodge and weekend residence for the Archbishops of Salzburg. On the way back to the city center we will pass the palace of Frohnburg and the Nonnberg Abbey, before entering the heart of the city through the Siegmunds Gate. The tour finishes in Mozart Square with the statue of the composer and the cathedral.  In the afternoon we continue our tour and visit Hohensalzburg, the landmark of Salzburg, which is Central Europe’s largest intact fortress and offers fantastic views of the city.  Overnight in Salzburg.

 

Day 8

Lakes and Mountains of Salzburg (125 km/2.30 min)
The Salzkammergut is the famous region close to Salzburg with its magnificent mountains, crystal clear lakes and typical Austrian villages. This region was well-liked by the archbishops of Salzburg as well as by the emperor Franz Josef... The tour goes via lake St. Gilgen at the Wolfgangsee.  From there it is a very attractive way around the lake Wolfgang to the town of St. Wolfgang, which is one of our highlights. Then we drive to Bad Ischl. We have a break in Wolfgangsee, where we can see the local Church with the famous winged altar, a masterpiece from Michael Pacher in the XVth century. Also view the famous Hotel White Horse Inn.  Bad Ischl is a little spa-town, in the heart of the Salzkammergut, surrounded by wooded hills along the River Traun. It was the summer residence of the Emperor Franz Josef, and much of the town shows the architectural style of the old Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. In the town center we shall see the Ferdinand-Aubock Square with the parish church from 1753. We are also going to visit the Imperial Villa (Kaiservilla), the summer palace of the Emperor, with a beautiful park around the villa. Another break will be at St. Gilgen, a town where Mozart’s mother was born, and of course, part of the excursion is St. Wolfgang.  Overnight in Salzburg.

 

Day 9

Salzburg – Vienna (300 km/3.30 min)
On the way back to Vienna we visit the Hohenwerfen Castle – amazing fortress in the mountain. A tour of the castle includes a walk around the castle chapel, the pitch kitchen, the armory and arsenal featuring an exhibition of the weapons over the ages, the battlements, the bell tower and the adapted rooms of the regents.  We stop for some time in Steyr to visit this unique city, one of the best preserved old towns in Austria. Steyr is famous for its historic town center built around the Town square, with fine pieces of Gothic architecture. Overnight in Vienna.

 

Day 10

Vienna
Leisure time, afternoon transfer to the airport for final departure.